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12/03/2014
The research, which has been carried out by Swansea University College of Medicine and published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), claim that an estimated one in 20 women are severely obese during pregnancy. This has led researchers to describe the situation as "one of the biggest challenges presented to maternity services in the UK."
The team behind the study looked at anonymous data of 484 pregnant women and analysed their total usage of NHS services. This included GP visits, medication and any inpatient or outpatient treatment and only looked at the mother's use of services, and not any involving the baby.
They then used BMI (Body Mass Index) as an indicator of weight, and accounted for additional factors such as age, social class, smoking, drinking alcohol and other health conditions.
A healthy weight is classed as having a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.
The research found costs to the NHS per pregnancy were 23% higher for overweight women (classed as having a BMI of 24.9 to 30) and 37% higher for those classed as obese (a BMI of over 30). Elsewhere, both overweight and obese women spent on average 30% more days in hospital, and had between 15 to 20% greater usage of all healthcare services.
The researchers said that if money was invested in preventing obesity in young women prior to pregnancy, it would save the NHS money, and also give better health outcomes for both the mother and baby. Currently, the additional costs to the NHS across the UK add up to anywhere between £105m and £286m per year.
Lead researcher, Kelly Morgan, said: "Our findings highlight that the NHS is currently spending additional money on increased health service use for overweight and obese women, throughout pregnancy.
"Our study shows that the extra costs of obesity in pregnancy are significant and our figures are conservative as they exclude areas such as absenteeism from work.
"In addition, other evidence shows that maternal obesity is often associated with poorer health in the children, which in turn creates extra cost."
Head of Midwifery Studies at Swansea University, Susanne Darra, added: "This study, carried out by researchers in Swansea University, is robust and would clearly assist providers of maternity services to understand the extra financial costs of caring for women who are overweight or obese when pregnant.
"It also demonstrates how much may be spent on interventions to prevent obesity in pregnancy, in order to remain cost-effective. As such it is a very exciting contribution to the body of knowledge in maternity care and has obvious potential to affect service provision for women."
(JP/IT)
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Obesity In Pregnancy Increases NHS Costs
Women who are obese when pregnant cost the NHS up to 37% more than women who are of a healthy weight, a new study has found.The research, which has been carried out by Swansea University College of Medicine and published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), claim that an estimated one in 20 women are severely obese during pregnancy. This has led researchers to describe the situation as "one of the biggest challenges presented to maternity services in the UK."
The team behind the study looked at anonymous data of 484 pregnant women and analysed their total usage of NHS services. This included GP visits, medication and any inpatient or outpatient treatment and only looked at the mother's use of services, and not any involving the baby.
They then used BMI (Body Mass Index) as an indicator of weight, and accounted for additional factors such as age, social class, smoking, drinking alcohol and other health conditions.
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A healthy weight is classed as having a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.
The research found costs to the NHS per pregnancy were 23% higher for overweight women (classed as having a BMI of 24.9 to 30) and 37% higher for those classed as obese (a BMI of over 30). Elsewhere, both overweight and obese women spent on average 30% more days in hospital, and had between 15 to 20% greater usage of all healthcare services.
The researchers said that if money was invested in preventing obesity in young women prior to pregnancy, it would save the NHS money, and also give better health outcomes for both the mother and baby. Currently, the additional costs to the NHS across the UK add up to anywhere between £105m and £286m per year.
Lead researcher, Kelly Morgan, said: "Our findings highlight that the NHS is currently spending additional money on increased health service use for overweight and obese women, throughout pregnancy.
"Our study shows that the extra costs of obesity in pregnancy are significant and our figures are conservative as they exclude areas such as absenteeism from work.
"In addition, other evidence shows that maternal obesity is often associated with poorer health in the children, which in turn creates extra cost."
Head of Midwifery Studies at Swansea University, Susanne Darra, added: "This study, carried out by researchers in Swansea University, is robust and would clearly assist providers of maternity services to understand the extra financial costs of caring for women who are overweight or obese when pregnant.
"It also demonstrates how much may be spent on interventions to prevent obesity in pregnancy, in order to remain cost-effective. As such it is a very exciting contribution to the body of knowledge in maternity care and has obvious potential to affect service provision for women."
(JP/IT)
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